Motor-vehicle.



PATENTBD FEB. 17, 1903.

0. A. LIEB.

MOTOR VEHIGLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

FIG-1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. LIFE, OF NEW.YORK, N. Y.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,713, dated February17, 1903. Application filed April 5, 1902. $erial No. 1011603- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIEB, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county and State --of New York,- haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of whichthe and steering mechanism of a motor-vehiclel The object of myinvention is a construction whereby the motive power applied to eitheraxle orpair of Wheels will be equally exerted upon both axles or pairsof .wheels, and, further, whereby the steering of the vehicle will beaccomplished by varying the position equally of both axles or pairs ofwheels.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 isa plan View. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an endview. Fig. 4. is a plan view showing an axle provided with a pivotedbearing for a wheel.

In the drawings, 5 indicates the body of a motor-Vehicle, which may beof any suitable construction. Fastened to the ends of the body are thesprings 6, and under each spring at its center there is secured theupper section of a fifth-wheel 7.

8 indicates the front and rear axles, to each of which is fastened atits center the lower section of a fifth-wheel. of each fifth-wheel ares'ecuredtogether by means of a king-bolt9. The axles 8 aresecuredtogether through a reach-bar 10, which reach-bar is pivoted to eachaxle.

Secured to the body of the vehicle at about its center is a motor 11, ofany suitable de scription. 12 is a shaft carrying a screw 13, adapted tobe rotated by the motor in either direction; 7

14, a threaded block located on the screw and arranged to be movedforward and backward on the screw when the screw is rotated. Connectedto the block 14 is a plate 15, to the ends of which are pivoted links16. These links are also pivoted at their outer ends to'th axles ,8.

Instead ofconstructing the axles asshown in Fig. 1 they may be formed asshown in Fig. 4, where the ends of the links 16 are directly connectedto the portions 8 of the axle The two sections 8, which'serve asbearings for the wheels, which construction is now well understood inthe art.

The operation of my device will be readily understood. When power isapplied to either axle, it is transmitted through the practically rigidreach-bar and links to the opposite axle, so that in. point of fact thepower may besaid tobe applied equally to both axles, and this will betrue irrespective of the angular position of the axles or the wheels asregards each other. It will befurther observed that the application ofthe power will be entirely through the frame, with the result that nostrain will be made upon the body of the vehicle whether the vehicle bemoving in a straight line or turning in the arc of a circle. When thedirection of the motion of the vehicle is to be changed from a straightline, the motor 11 is rotated in onedirection or the other. When. themotor 11 is rotated to the right, the block 14, by reason of themovement of the screw 13, moves forward on the screw and carries thelinks 16 and axles into the position shown in the dotted lines.

When the motor is rotated in the opposite direction, a reverse movementtakes place. It will further be observed that by the constructiondescribed power applied to the motor to efiect the turning movement willbe transmitted through the frame to opposite axles or pairs of wheels,and that the respective movement of the axles or pairs of wheels will bein the same are of a circle, and that therefore it is impossible tocrimp either axle,

so that the power applied to the opposite axle will be exertedacross'the periphery of one pair of wheels, as is now the case in theturning movement of a wagon of ordinary construction, where one axle isrigid and the other axle adapted to be swung in the arc of a circle.

Iwish it understood that I do not limit myself to the preciseconstruction shown in the drawings so far as concerns the motor and theapplication of the power from the motor to efiect the movementof thelinks, as

-this power maybe differently applied. Further, the links may bedifferently constructed, while still adapted to effect the correspondingmovement of both axles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a motor-vehicle, thecombination with a pair of pivoted axles, a reach pivoted to each axle,pairs of links connected to each axle at one end and pivoted to a plateat the opposite end, and means for moving the plate transversely of theaxis of the vehicle, whereby the angular inclination of the axles asregards each other may be altered.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of pivoted axles, a movablelink-frame introduced between said axles and carrying a threaded block,a motor, and a screw actuated by said motor and cooperating with saidthreaded block for moving said links and al-

